What Tommy can do:

Learning to crawl...no fun (but super cute)

This is how she thinks you crawl. We do a lot of yoga these days:

Hi everybody

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted. I'm sorry, I just forget about the blog sometimes.

First of all, Happy Birthday to Andy and Brett! If I'd remembered before an hour ago (so so sorry), I would've called both of you so Tommy could sing. Maybe tomorrow?

We're all doing just fine. Tommy spent about ten minutes on our way home from school telling me about how his life would be better with a kitty. Tommy would, apparently, sleep with the kitten and also sit with it on his lap while he watched television. It would be very very tiny and very very cute.

Tommy told Eli that he doesn't like pink anymore because it's a girl color. Thankfully, he is not refusing to ride his scooter.

Yesterday, when I picked Tommy up from school, one of his teachers asked if she could observe him (for the entire school year) for a class she's taking. I asked if it was because he is the most energetic child she has ever encountered, and she sort of paused and said, "well, it's because he's just so interesting at the moment." Hmmmm. But, Eli dropped him off this morning and understands what I mean now when I said he's pretty much off and running the second he gets through the door (and past the teacher -- he has to shake hands and say good morning when he gets to school each day).

Lizzie went to her baby class today and had such a good time. For part of the class, we sing songs with scarves, and she beamed and flapped her arms whenever it went on her head. She loved it. When we started in early September, only one baby could crawl and now that place is a zoo. Lizzie scooted around a little bit, but she's mostly really focused on the teacher and the music. I know I'm her mother, but she's just so adorable.

We've had a couple of nice weekends. We've now had people over for brunch three weekends in a row. (This last weekend was the best food.) And, just so you all know, each weekend we had different people over. We have enough friends to have three different families over for brunch. I am totally relieved.

Tommy's appetite

As of 11:40 this morning, Tommy has eaten:

- 3 clementines

- 1 bowl of oatmeal

- 2 scrambled eggs

- 1 quesadilla (with just cheese)

- 1/2 cup of steamed broccoli

- 1 small smoothie

Tractors

This morning Tommy woke up, said good morning and suggested we go visit Robie. "And Grandpa Bob ... and Grandma Antsy ... and Margaret." Then, he launched into a description of the tractors on Margaret's farm (I don't actually remember any, but apparently there were five).

A couple of mornings ago, he announced from his chair during breakfast that he was going to Grandma Sid's for five. We sorted out that he meant five minutes. He likes to tell me that he's going various places (to the hardware store is his favorite), but he'll be right back, "and you won't miss me, mom, okay?"

We put together a big puzzle a couple of days ago, and he looked at it and said "you know what mom? I think I did a good job. By the way, thanks for the help, mom!"

Tommy's preschool teacher told me that he and another little boy go into the bathroom, each get situated in their cubicle, and then chat.

Tommy got his hair cut on Monday, and the hairdresser complimented him on his hair: "It's so thick, and it's such a lovely color." That night during bath, while I was washing his hair, Tommy complained, "but you'll wash it off!" And I said, "what do you mean?" And he said, "you'll wash the lovely color off!"

Lizzie

Lizzie can point, clap and raise her hands when we ask "how big is Lizzie?" She also waves (though possibly accidentally). She loves to eat buttered toast, peas, and butternut squash. She says "mmmmmm" when she eats things she likes. She stares at people on the bus until they smile at her. She goes to sleep all by herself, no more rocking. Lizzie is just at a completely adorable stage. I will be posting some learning-to-crawl pictures shortly. She is still working hard on crawling.

On the downside: she threw her cupcake hat over the side of the buggy while I was running last Thursday and I didn't notice. When I did notice, we had just 10 minutes before we had to pick up Tommy, so I couldn't go back and find it. This week I have recovered a sock, but lost a paci. I am finally not feeling sad about the cupcake hat, but it took a week. I loved that hat.

I still don't have a debit card.

So I've mostly posted about the nice parts of London. But there are some crappy, frustrating parts as well.

For me, the very worst part has been attempting to obtain a debit card for our UK bank account. This bank account was opened by my husband when he was here before the rest of us, and he opened it using his Bechtel address. So when we went in April to get me added to the account, the bank informed us that I could not be added until we had a permanent address. Of course, that did not happen until the end of June. When we went into the bank in June, we were informed that I needed to be listed on a utility bill. Of course, we did not have a utility bill with our names on it yet. We had to call the utility company, have a three way call in which I consented to be added to the account, and then wait for six weeks until our first statement appeared. When I returned from the Seattle trip, we had a council tax statement with my name on it, and so the very first day I was back in London, I took my passport, the council tax statement and the form to the bank. I submitted it. The banker man told me that I would receive a debit card in two weeks.

I never received it. The bank lost the form, and the copy of the council tax statement and the copy of my passport. AND the application for my UK credit card as well.

In the meantime, we lost the council tax statement, and our utility statements are all electronic. So I finally remembered earlier this week to go get the form again (no, we didn't keep a copy), but when I went to submit it, I took a LETTER from the gas company, not a statement, to the bank and was rejected. Now this is the crazy part. I actually started to CRY in the bank. Not like big sobs, but I couldn't talk and just stalked out of there. And then I texted Eli that if we can't switch banks, I want to go back to the US. Of course, we can't switch banks because everything is automatically debited from our account and it would be such a hassle. But.

Now you all know the dark side of living in the UK. It is full of totally inefficient assholes. (Many of them have horrible teeth.)